Nivenor’s latest delivery to their humble Riften home arrived in the early evening. The couple watched as a pair of burly, blonde Nords carried their crates to the basement, Nivenor pleased and Bolli bewildered.
“Out of curiosity, what did you get this time?” he asked. Nivenor smiled broadly, nodding at the deliverymen as they departed.
“Some new furniture, actually,” she chirped. “Some softer chairs, and some new blankets for the bed. Ours are getting so scratchy.” Bolli personally didn’t see it, but nodded his acceptance.
“Excellent. At least it’s something we can both use this time,” he remarked. Nivenor smiled genuinely, but the conversation was cut short by a knock at the door. The Bosmer woman moved to answer it, only to be surprised at the sight of an unfamiliar woman in simple armor.
“Oh, hello. Were you with delivery?” she asked. Bolli peered around her, only to feel his heart jump at the sight of Nadia standing at his doorstep. She had vanished soon after their first meeting, and he hadn’t seen her at the bar in a few days.
“She isn’t,” he said hurriedly. “She’s a friend.” He joined his wife in the doorway, and she stepped back, her eyebrows raised. “What can I do for you?”
“I just wanted to let you know that I got the agreement to Markarth,” she said cheerfully. “Kleppr looks forward to working with you in the future.” Bolli nodded with a relieved smile, and glanced back at Nivenor, who was already heading for the basement.
“I really appreciate your help,” he replied. After a pause, he continued. “Would you like to walk with me for a bit, if you’re not busy?”
Nadia leaned forward on a railing overlooking the canal, grinning back at Bolli as he trailed behind her.
“You sound like a busy man,” she said. “Spending all of that time between the temple and the fishery. Doesn’t your wife get bored without you?” Bolli rolled his eyes and came to join her, watching the sun vanish over the wooden roofs.
“And what about you?” he asked. “You’ve never been to Riften before, but you say you’ve been in Skyrim for half a year? What have you been up to?”
“Odd jobs, mostly. I’ve got a home in Whiterun, so I’ve fallen in with the people who live there. Mostly farmers, so I do a lot of delivery work.” She paused, her face softening a bit. “In truth, I’d love to find work with the Companions. They’re practically legends, so I haven’t gone there yet, but I’ve been taking bounties to try and get their attention. Fighting bandits and the like, you know?” Bolli looked at her, surprised that the admittedly small girl would aspire to be a Companion, but nodded.
“For what it’s worth, I hope they notice you. You seem like you’d fit in with them,” he replied. The Breton observed him out of the corner of her eye, a small smile on her face.
“You avoided my question before,” she pointed out. “You’ve been doing it a lot, actually.” Bolli’s face reddened, and he looked away as his companion continued. “Every time I bring up Nivenor, you change the subject.” The fisherman glanced around anxiously, then sighed.
“Nivenor and I have been at odds for a while, if you haven’t realized,” he confided. “We want…different things. She spends more money than I’d prefer, and I don’t make as much as she’d like.” He shook his head, awkward in the face of this confession, but continued nonetheless. “I’ve tried getting her involved at the temple, but it hasn’t caught on.” Nadia sighed as well, her hands loose on the railing.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” the girl replied, shaking her head. She hesitated, then spoke again. “Are you at least satisfied in the bedroom?” Bolli shot up rigidly, glaring at her.
“Excuse me?! You’re a bit bold, aren’t you? Asking something like that…”
“Don’t be angry,” Nadia interrupted, her face slightly pink. “I just…you’re a good man, Bolli. I’ve never liked seeing a good man so unhappy, and…I don’t know, I have my room at the inn and I just thought…” she trailed off, leaving Bolli’s shoulders to slump. He would be lying to himself if he didn’t admit that she was attractive, and he would probably spend the night with Haelga if he didn’t spend it alone.
F!DB/Bolli: "The Things He Lacks" 3/?
“Out of curiosity, what did you get this time?” he asked. Nivenor smiled broadly, nodding at the deliverymen as they departed.
“Some new furniture, actually,” she chirped. “Some softer chairs, and some new blankets for the bed. Ours are getting so scratchy.” Bolli personally didn’t see it, but nodded his acceptance.
“Excellent. At least it’s something we can both use this time,” he remarked. Nivenor smiled genuinely, but the conversation was cut short by a knock at the door. The Bosmer woman moved to answer it, only to be surprised at the sight of an unfamiliar woman in simple armor.
“Oh, hello. Were you with delivery?” she asked. Bolli peered around her, only to feel his heart jump at the sight of Nadia standing at his doorstep. She had vanished soon after their first meeting, and he hadn’t seen her at the bar in a few days.
“She isn’t,” he said hurriedly. “She’s a friend.” He joined his wife in the doorway, and she stepped back, her eyebrows raised. “What can I do for you?”
“I just wanted to let you know that I got the agreement to Markarth,” she said cheerfully. “Kleppr looks forward to working with you in the future.” Bolli nodded with a relieved smile, and glanced back at Nivenor, who was already heading for the basement.
“I really appreciate your help,” he replied. After a pause, he continued. “Would you like to walk with me for a bit, if you’re not busy?”
Nadia leaned forward on a railing overlooking the canal, grinning back at Bolli as he trailed behind her.
“You sound like a busy man,” she said. “Spending all of that time between the temple and the fishery. Doesn’t your wife get bored without you?” Bolli rolled his eyes and came to join her, watching the sun vanish over the wooden roofs.
“And what about you?” he asked. “You’ve never been to Riften before, but you say you’ve been in Skyrim for half a year? What have you been up to?”
“Odd jobs, mostly. I’ve got a home in Whiterun, so I’ve fallen in with the people who live there. Mostly farmers, so I do a lot of delivery work.” She paused, her face softening a bit. “In truth, I’d love to find work with the Companions. They’re practically legends, so I haven’t gone there yet, but I’ve been taking bounties to try and get their attention. Fighting bandits and the like, you know?” Bolli looked at her, surprised that the admittedly small girl would aspire to be a Companion, but nodded.
“For what it’s worth, I hope they notice you. You seem like you’d fit in with them,” he replied. The Breton observed him out of the corner of her eye, a small smile on her face.
“You avoided my question before,” she pointed out. “You’ve been doing it a lot, actually.” Bolli’s face reddened, and he looked away as his companion continued. “Every time I bring up Nivenor, you change the subject.” The fisherman glanced around anxiously, then sighed.
“Nivenor and I have been at odds for a while, if you haven’t realized,” he confided. “We want…different things. She spends more money than I’d prefer, and I don’t make as much as she’d like.” He shook his head, awkward in the face of this confession, but continued nonetheless. “I’ve tried getting her involved at the temple, but it hasn’t caught on.” Nadia sighed as well, her hands loose on the railing.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” the girl replied, shaking her head. She hesitated, then spoke again. “Are you at least satisfied in the bedroom?” Bolli shot up rigidly, glaring at her.
“Excuse me?! You’re a bit bold, aren’t you? Asking something like that…”
“Don’t be angry,” Nadia interrupted, her face slightly pink. “I just…you’re a good man, Bolli. I’ve never liked seeing a good man so unhappy, and…I don’t know, I have my room at the inn and I just thought…” she trailed off, leaving Bolli’s shoulders to slump. He would be lying to himself if he didn’t admit that she was attractive, and he would probably spend the night with Haelga if he didn’t spend it alone.
“…Let’s give it a try,” he said at last.